Ice Priestess
by BittersweetRegrets
Summary: Yukiko Minamoto gets sucked inside the Book of the Four Gods and becomes the unwilling new Priestess of Genbu. Will she be able to find the seven stars of Genbu and summon the god? She had once fallen in love but that had ended in tragedy and so she chose
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I **don't** own Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden, Yuu Watase does. I am merely borrowing its characters, places and such for this fic.

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**Summary**: Yukiko Minamoto gets sucked inside the Book of the Four Gods and becomes the unwilling new Priestess of Genbu. Will she be able to find the seven stars of Genbu and summon the god? She had once fallen in love but that had ended in tragedy and so she chose to close her heart. Will her heart of snow be finally melted?

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_**Ice Priestess**_

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...

_**Prologue**_

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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**---Tokyo High---**

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Tokyo High, a highly prestigious private high school located in the middle of Tokyo, Japan was still bustling with activity. Students were scattered everywhere in the campus: some about to go home, while others were still roaming around the vast campus. One particular brown-haired male student with auburn eyes was frantically running around the school campus.

'Where is she?' He thought impatiently. He was beginning to get tired of running around, looking for her.

Scanning the courtyard, his eyes caught sight of a white building. 'Of course!' He ran towards the building and as he neared it, a sign saying "LIBRARY" could clearly be seen on top of the building.

A female student with long beige hair and light blue eyes was the only person inside. She was sitting on one of the tables reading a book. He grinned and walked towards her.

He tapped her shoulder lightly and the girl looked up from her book to see who had tapped her. When she saw the familiar grinning figure, she let her lips form a small smile.

He let out an exasperated sigh and complained, "Sheesh, I should have known this is where you have been hiding! That would have saved me a lot of time and effort. I think it is only fair to inform you that I had been running all over the school campus looking for you. Honestly, Yukiko!"

The girl gave him an impish smile and said, "Sorry, Tatsuya. And I wasn't _hiding _here. You know very well that I _always_ come in here."

He eyed her skeptically and remarked, "You haven't changed at all."

"I'll take that as a compliment," She replied.

"Oh, well," He sighed in defeat. "Hey, Yuki-chan."

"Hmm? What is it, Tacchan?"

"Happy birthday! You didn't really think that I would forget now, did you?" He said as he handed her a red box.

She carefully placed the book that she was reading on top of the table and glanced at his smiling face. "Tacchan…"

"You didn't need to…" She began to protest but he shoved the box on her hand firmly.

"Nonsense! This is my present for you. Oh, and I think we should have a party to celebrate!" Tatsuya insisted.

Yukiko shook her head in disagreement. "No. That won't be necessary."

"But it's your sixteenth birthday for heaven's sake!" Tatsuya protested.

"Iie…we don't need to throw a party…father isn't even here…he's still on that business trip of his…" She responded, her voice emotionless.

"Oh…right…I forgot…gomenasai, Yuki-chan…"

"It's not your fault, Tacchan…besides…I still have you and it's really sweet of you to buy me a birthday present," Yukiko said, smiling at him warmly.

"What can I say? I love my dear cousin too much. And I promise to always be by your side."

She laughed softly and he probed her to open his gift for her. She carefully opened the lid of the box and her eyes widened when she saw what was inside. A beautiful, intricate white-gold bracelet with a sapphire stone shaped like a heart in the middle of it was sitting on top of the velvet cloth inside the box.

She turned shocked eyes on her cousin who was smiling proudly beside her. "Look behind the heart."

She picked up the bracelet and turned it around. Something was engraved behind the heart. "Espérance," she whispered softly.

With eyes filled with tears, she stood up and threw her arms around him. "Hope…arigatou oniichan…arigatou…" She sobbed.

He patted her back comfortingly. "I'm glad you like it."

She nodded her head. "We'll always be together. Always…ne oniichan?"

"Of course!" He assured her.

"I…don't want to lose anyone anymore…no more…" She said softly.

He hugged her tightly and whispered, "No…you won't lose anyone anymore…I won't let you get hurt again…I'll protect you."

"Arigatou, oniichan…as long as you are with me…I'll always be alright." She wiped her cheeks with a handkerchief and slipped the bracelet on her left hand.

"Shall we go home now?" He inquired. She nodded her head and together, they went out of the library and left the school.

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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**Author's notes:**

Okay. This is my second fic. This story has been bugging me ever since I had first read about Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden. Sorry. I haven't even read it till the end so it'll be a little difficult to write about it. Anyway please tell me if you hate the story. I don't mind if you criticize me. Just please tell me your honest opinion about it. If you're confused about anything, please feel free to e-mail me so that I could clear it out for you. I'd be happy to explain it as long as you don't ask me in an obnoxious way. Oh and please tell me if it's lame or something although I do think it kinda is. After all, it's only the prologue. Anyway, **please** leave a **review**! Thanks in advance!!!


	2. The Mysterious Gift

**Disclaimer**: I **don't** own Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden. It belongs to its creator, Yuu Watase and to those people who bought the rights for it. I am merely borrowing its characters, places and such for this fic. But I do own Yukiko Minamoto and Tatsuya Minamoto.

**…**

**Summary**: Yukiko Minamoto gets sucked inside the Book of the Four Gods and becomes the unwilling new Priestess of Genbu. Will she be able to find the seven stars of Genbu and summon the god? She had once fallen in love but that had ended in tragedy and so she chose to close her heart. Will her heart of snow be finally melted?

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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_**Ice Priestess**_

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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_**Chapter 1: The Mysterious Gift**_

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The sun was already setting when Tatsuya and Yukiko reached the house they called their home. The house was a simple two-storey structure with red-bricks as walls. It had a small gate and a mini staircase leading to the front door. There was a small pond on the backyard and a garden full of white and pink rosebushes surrounding the house.

As they pushed the gate open, they were surprised to see a small parcel in front of their front door. "Wait here. I'll check it out," Tatsuya told Yukiko, his facial expression serious and worried.

"Okay. Be careful, onii-chan," Yukiko responded, also worried.

Tatsuya smiled at her and cautiously moved towards the parcel. He bent down and squinted his eyes, trying to read the label that was on top of the box-shaped parcel. "To Yukiko Minamoto, Happy Sixteenth Birthday," He read aloud.

Yukiko furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Who is it from?"

Tatsuya shrugged and carefully picked up the box and turned it over. He shook it slightly and checked it over again. "Doesn't say."

"Do you think it's from…father…?" Yukiko asked, uncertain.

"I honestly don't know but it can be a possibility," Tatsuya answered. "Don't worry though…I don't think it's a bomb."

Yukiko sighed exaggeratedly and said. "Thank god!"

Tatsuya laughed and motioned to her that she could come closer now. "Come on, we better get inside. It's almost nightfall."

He took the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. "Ladies first," He said, grinning and giving her a mocking bow.

Yukiko smiled wryly and commented aloud, "Oh my, I never knew you were a gentleman."

Tatsuya pouted and she pinched his cheek then swiftly scurried inside the house before he could get back at her.

"Hey! Not fair! Get back here!" Tatsuya cried, entering the house with the parcel still in his hands.

"Catch me if you can!" Yukiko yelled playfully, running upstairs, towards her room and quickly locking its door.

"Cheater!" Tatsuya shouted. He shook his head and placed the parcel on top of the living room table.

He went towards his room and as he passed Yukiko's door he said loudly, "I left the parcel on top of the table in the living room."

"Okay! Thanks, Tatsu-watsu!" Yukiko teased loudly from inside her room.

"Yuki-wuki! You're a _very _bad _little_ girl!" Tatsuya scolded mockingly.

"Owww…is Tatsu-watsu upset? Don't cry, Tatsu-watsu, I'll buy you an ice cream if you behave."

"Ahahaha I'll hold you on that one. I'll be in my room if you need me," Tatsuya said as he continued on his way to his room.

Yukiko waited for ten full minutes before she peeked outside her room's door. She cautiously went out and when she saw no signs of Tatsuya, she went down the stairs and towards the living room.

She sat on the couch and reached out for the parcel. Holding it with both hands, she turned it around to check if Tatsuya had missed anything. "No…" She sighed. "Of course he didn't miss anything."

She placed the parcel on her lap and stared at it blankly. 'I wonder who it's from…' She thought as she poked the parcel absentmindedly.

"Could it be from father…?" She asked no one in particular as she began to carefully open the parcel. With the wrapper gone, she ripped the packaging tape that was keeping the box inside closed.

"Ehh?! Nani…?!" She exclaimed in surprise as her gaze fell on a red, worn-out looking book inside the box.

She picked it up and carefully wiped the dust from the book's cover with one hand. She narrowed her eyes as she read the book's title which was written in Chinese. "_Shi Jin Ten Chi __Sho__"_

"Universe of the Four Gods?"

She blinked her eyes twice then sweat dropped. "It's…written in…Chinese…"

Silence.

She groaned aloud and scratched the back of her head in irritation. "Tatsuya is better in Chinese than I'll ever be!"

"Tatsuya!!!" She shouted.

"Yes?" Tatsuya answered from his room.

"Heeelllppp meeeeeee!!!!!" She whined.

"Why?! What's wrong?!" Tatsuya asked, alarmed.

"The parcel contains a book!" She wailed.

Silence.

"So…?" Tatsuya asked, a little annoyed. He thought that Yukiko was in trouble or maybe that she had an accident and got hurt. And it ends up that she yelled because of a book!?

"It's written in Chinese!!!" Yukiko whined.

A throbbing vein appeared on the side of Tatsuya's forehead. "You shouted…and disturbed me while I was doing my homework…because…of a book written in Chinese!?"

"Whaaat??? You know I'm not good at Chinese!" Yukiko shot back.

"Read. It. By. Yourself!" Tatsuya said through gritting teeth.

"Demo! Pleeeeaaaasssseeeee!!!" Yukiko pleaded loudly.

Tatsuya took a deep breath then slowly let it out. "Alright. Wait there. I'll just fix my things."

"ARIGATOU, ONII-CHAN!!!" Yukiko cried happily, grinning like a cat who got the cream.

"You are SO childish! Are you really 16?" Tatsuya remarked teasingly.

"I'll wait for you here, OJII-SAN!" Yukiko retorted.

She glanced at the book again and her curiosity overpowered her. She placed the box on the table and rested the book on her lap. She slowly opened it and read the first page slowly. "…This is the story of a girl who single-handedly gathers the seven stars of Genbu and obtains every power…"

She stopped reading and blinked her eyes once. "Genbu…? Who's Genbu…?"

"Oh well…" She shrugged her shoulders and continued on reading. "The story itself will turn into a spell and the person who reads this till the end will gain the same powers as the girl and their wishes will come true. Because once you turn the page, the story will begin and become reality…"

Yukiko stared at the book in disbelief. "What a _queer_ book!"

A sudden gust of cold wind made her shiver. "What the—? Where did that cold wind come from…? T-the door is locked and…"

She shook her head and laughed nervously. "I must be imagining things…oh! It's almost dinnertime! That Tatsuya! He didn't come down after all!"

"Hey, Tatsuya! Help me prepare dinner, you lazy bum!" She shouted.

"Coming!" Tatsuya shouted back.

She placed the book on top of the box that was on the table and stood up to go to the kitchen. She was about to walk towards the kitchen when a strange green light suddenly shone behind her. She whirled around and gaped in disbelief at the now floating book. The strange light was coming from it.

'Oh. My. God!' Yukiko thought, unconsciously taking a step backwards.

The green light seemed to pull her towards it, as if it was trying to envelop her. "Ehh?! What the—?!" ONII-CHAN!!! DASUKETE!!!" She screamed as she frantically tried to grab anything that would help her get away from the strange light.

She heard footsteps running down the stairs and going towards her. She had a split-second to see Tatsuya's shocked and horrified face as he entered the living room before everything seemed to fade.

"YUKIKO!!!" Tatsuya shouted as he lunged forward and tried to grab her but his hand missed and she began to disappear.

"NOOOOO!!!!!" He yelled as he helplessly watched the light envelop her completely and she disappeared.

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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**Author's Notes:**

Hiya, minna-san! This is the first chapter and…well…I needed to cut it here. Gomenasai!!! Umm…what do you think??? Is the chapter _that _boring or something? I decided to end it here because if I continue anymore, I'll end up typing too much. Did I spell the Japanese words right? I wasn't so sure and I didn't have enough time to check…I was too…uhh…perky…? Anyway, **please don't forget to leave a review!** Tell me what you think about the this chapter…I don't mind if you criticize me. _**Oh and for those who know some good sites or for those who know some information about any of the seven (or all) the **__**Genbu**__** Seishi, please PM me!**_ I need _any_ info that you could give me like: What does Inami look like? What is her hair color? Or any other stuffs that you know. I would really appreciate it! And which seishi would you like to appear first? Please tell me! I'll end my babbling here now, thank you very much for reading this chapter of _**Ice Priestess**_. -

**I want to thank the following for reviewing my story:**

**Fiction101 -Thank you for reviewing and for the ideas that you had sent to me! - And please tell me if Yukiko is turning into a Mary Sue...I'm not sure...I don't think she's turning into one but if you notice that she is, please inform me! Thanks!**

**BlackRainWillFall**** - Thank you for ****reviewing:**

**BoNkaKi-sama**** - Thank you for reviewing and for adding my story to your favorites T-T you're the first person to have made me blush like that. ****Arigatou**

**I love the three of you; you have made me so happy. Again, thank you very much!**


	3. Destiny Unfolds

**Disclaimer**: I **don't** own Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden. It belongs to its creator, Yuu Watase and to those people who bought the rights for it. I am merely borrowing its characters, places and such for this fic. But I do own Yukiko Minamoto and Tatsuya Minamoto.

…

**Summary**: Yukiko Minamoto gets sucked inside the Book of the Four Gods and becomes the unwilling new Priestess of Genbu. Will she be able to find the seven stars of Genbu and summon the god? She had once fallen in love but that had ended in tragedy and so she chose to close her heart. Will her heart of snow be finally melted?

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

_…_

_**Ice Priestess**_

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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_**Chapter 2: Destiny Unfolds**_

_…_

_**Last time…**_

_She heard footsteps running down the stairs and going towards her. She had a split-second to see Tatsuya's shocked and horrified face as he entered the living room before everything seemed to fade._

"_YUKIKO!!!"__ Tatsuya shouted as he lunged forward and tried to grab her but his hand missed and she began to disappear._

"_NOOOOO!!!!!"__ He yelled as he helplessly watched the light envelop her completely and she disappeared._

_…_

_**Now…**_

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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Tatsuya closed his eyes as the light momentarily blinded him. The book closed by itself and the light disappeared. Softly, the book fell down on the ground followed by another soft thud. Tatsuya slowly opened his eyes and he blinked them thrice. "Yukiko…?"

He looked around him, trying to find his younger cousin. His roaming gaze caught sight of the book on the floor and a brown shoe beside it. He went near the two objects and picked up the shoe. "Yukiko's shoe…" He whispered softly as he realized that it was one of his cousin's school shoes.

He placed the shoe on top of the table before he fell back on the couch. He leaned his head forward, holding it with his two hands. "Yukiko…where are you…? What happened…?"

He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he could see the book still lying on the floor. "This book…"

He picked up the book and read its title. "_Shi Jin Ten Chi __Sho_…Universe of the Four Gods…?"

He opened it and began to read the first page. "…This is the story of a girl who single-handedly gathers the seven stars of Genbu and obtains every power…the story itself will turn into a spell and the person who reads this till the end will gain the same powers as the girl and their wishes will come true. Because once you turn the page, the story will begin and become reality…"

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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**---In a dark place---**

Yukiko slowly opened her eyes. "Dark…it's so dark here…where am I…?" she whispered to herself.

She looked around her and blinked twice. "Oooo_kay_. Where on earth am I?"

"Welcome…priestess of Genbu…" A mysterious female voice, probably that of an old woman, greeted her.

"Ano…who's there? Uhh…where am I…? And what is _'__Genbu__'_?" Yukiko asked, sweat dropping.

"You have been chosen as the new Genbu no Miko…you must find the seven stars of Genbu that have been scattered across the country Hokkan. Find them and summon the god Genbu in order to save the people of Hokkan…" The voice continued.

"What??? I don't—" Yukiko started but a blinding light cut her off and she lost consciousness once again.

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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**---On top of a snow-covered mountain---**

"Ughh…" Yukiko moaned softly as she regained her consciousness. She slowly sat up and shivered. She hugged herself and looked around her surroundings. "Wha…? Snow…?"

As her eyes scanned the snow-covered mountains around her, she caught a glimpse of a small village in a valley nearby. "Eh? This place…"

'A mountain…I'm on top of a mountain…why am I on a place like this…? Why is it snowing in here…? It was still August back in Tokyo…winter was supposed to be four months away…oh no…where am I…? I _must_ be in Tokyo…I had just come back from school…I was at home with Tatsuya…'

'Tatsuya…where are you…? Father…I wonder…' A wind blew over the snow-covered mountains and she began to shiver again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a stone circle. She stood up. 'Eh?! Cold…why…?'

She looked down at her feet. One of her shoes was missing. 'Where did my other shoe go?' She sighed wearily but nonetheless began to walk towards the stone circle.

When she reached the stone pillars, she noticed that there was something carved on top of each stone. It looked like some kind of a turtle…it was the emblem of Genbu.

She was standing there, gazing at the stone pillars in wonder when the ground began to shake.

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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**---Real World---**

"The girl that had been selected by one of the four gods, Genbu, was now in emotional pain. She felt lonely with her beloved cousin nowhere to be found. Memories from the past began to flash inside of her mind and her heart nearly broke when the image of her father with his seemingly cold indifference towards her came in view…" Tatsuya read aloud. "…at last the door into another world opened and she was brought into Genbu's territory, the country Hokkan."

"The name of the girl who will become the new priestess of Genbu and who has begun walking on the path of fate is…" Tatsuya's eyes widened as he read aloud the name of the new priestess.

"Yukiko…"

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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**Author's Notes:**

Alright! Yukiko is now inside the book! Poor Yukiko…I wonder…won't she get a frost bite wearing a knee-length skirt? She's still wearing her school uniform….and she only has one shoe…it must be really cold there… (sweat drops) Uhh…anyway…I hope you don't hate this chapter…I don't mind if you don't like it…as long as you don't hate it…it _is_ kinda short too…sorry about that…I've been really busy lately. Anyway I'll describe Yukiko's uniform next time. Although if you have watched His and Her Circumstances you would know what it looks like. So…well…ano…**would you please leave a review?** **Please? **I would really, really appreciate it. -

I want to thank the following for reviewing the last chapter:

**StarPup****– thank you for the review and for adding my story to your favorites.**

**BoNkaKi****– thanks for the review. :)**

**Fiction101****– thanks for the review and the info. :)**

**BlackRainWillFal****– thank you for reviewing, for the info and for adding my story to your favorites. :) I know that site, I read the story there and that made me inspired to write this ****fic****. Thanks to you, I found out that chapter 16 was already posted. Thanks a lot! -**

**Thank you very much!!! **


	4. Beginning of the Legend

**Disclaimer**: I **don't** own Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden. It belongs to its creator, Yuu Watase and to those people who bought the rights for it. I am merely borrowing its characters, places and such for this fic. But I do own Yukiko Minamoto and Tatsuya Minamoto.

…

**Summary**: Yukiko Minamoto gets sucked inside the Book of the Four Gods and becomes the unwilling new Priestess of Genbu. Will she be able to find the seven stars of Genbu and summon the god? She had once fallen in love but that had ended in tragedy and so she chose to close her heart. Will her heart of snow be finally melted?

_**…**_

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

_…_

_**Ice Priestess**_

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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_**Chapter 3: Beginning of the Legend**_

_…_

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

_…_

_**Last time…**_

_When she reached the stone pillars, she noticed that there was something carved on top of each stone. It looked like some kind of a turtle…it was the emblem of __Genbu_

_She was standing there, gazing at the stone pillars in wonder when the ground began to shake._

_…_

_- - - - - - - - -_

_…_

_**Now…**_

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**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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"Ehh?! Nani?!" Yukiko exclaimed as she tried to keep her balance. She took a step back and watched as a patch of snow began to move.

"The snow is moving…?" She asked herself softly, anxiety beginning to fill her.

The patch of snow stopped moving and Yukiko sighed in relief. "It…must've been an earthquake…or my imagination…" she said, laughing nervously.

She turned around and was about to leave when she felt a sudden movement behind her. She spun around at the same time a huge, bulky figure jumped up from the snow on the ground.

With her eyes wide with shock, she fell on her knees and clutched her left shoulder. Blood was dripping down from a cut near her shoulder blade and she winced as she felt the wound sting.

"W-why is a…monster…here…?" She hissed as she closed her eyes and felt another sting and more blood dripped down her arm.

"I…I have…t-to get…away…" She slowly opened her eyes and suddenly she began to tremble.

"B-blood…?" Her body was shaking uncontrollably as she stared at the drops of blood that had fallen on the snow. "Blood…blood …no…no…no…NOOOOO!!!"

The monster's huge hand was raised, its sharp nails dripping with her blood from its attack earlier. It was going to strike her again. This time, it was going to deliver the finishing blow.

Her wide eyes looked up at the monster. Suddenly, after such a long time, she felt the almost unfamiliar feeling of fear. A fear that slowly starts to envelope you—consume you. The fear of impending death. Images began to flash through her mind, filling her eyes with tears.

"O-o-onii-chan…h-h-help…s-s-somebody…somebody help m-me…somebody please help me!!!" Yukiko screamed with her eyes shut tight and her head jerking upward making her tears fall on the snow-covered ground.

'This is the end…I…I'm going to die…I won't be able to see Tacchan anymore…I'm sorry onii-chan…blood…just…like…before…' She thought grimly as she waited for the pain that was sure to come.

When only a light breeze caressed her face and she felt no pain come, she felt confused. She cautiously opened her eyes and peeked around her surroundings. Her gaze fell on her left, to the still, bloody monster. She felt her insides turn and she quickly averted her eyes.

"Hey."

Her eyes shot up and she looked behind her. A girl with her arms crossed in front of her chest was gazing down at her. The girl was about her age and height. She had long brown hair tied back with a red string in a low ponytail and a pair of deep blue eyes.

"W-who…are you…?" Yukiko asked weakly, she felt drained and exhausted.

"Hn. It's not my style to help people," The girl said, ignoring Yukiko's question.

"What are you doing here anyway? You must either be crazy or an idiot, coming here on the mountains alone. Seeing as you are unarmed," The girl studied her for a moment before continuing. "I think it must've been the former. Everyone knows that this mountain is dangerous—monsters roam around here freely. They're everywhere."

"I…I…I…" Yukiko started but she suddenly felt dizzy and fainted.

"Hey!" The girl exclaimed.

She went near Yukiko and began to shake her. "Hey! Wake up! What's wrong with you? What the—?!"

Her eyes fell on Yukiko's bleeding wound. She placed her hand on top of Yukiko's forehead and sighed in frustration before quickly gathering the unconscious girl in her arms and standing up.

"She has a fever…oh man! This is so not my day! And I just said that helping others was not my style!" The girl groaned, then she summoned a strong gust of wind that enveloped them and they disappeared from sight.

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

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**---In the real world---**

"The new priestess of Genbu, after losing too much blood from her wound, suddenly fainted. The girl who had saved her earlier went towards her and placed a hand on her forehead. She found, to her dismay, that the unconscious girl had a high fever. Having no other choice, she picked up the priestess and a sudden gust of wind enveloped them. When the wind dispersed, so too had they disappeared from sight. And this was the beginning of the legend." Tatsuya read and his expression turned to one filled with worry and anxiety.

"Oh, Yukiko…I have to help her. I have to get her out of this book!" He said as a determined expression crossed his face.

He stood up from the couch with the book still in his hands. He glanced at the shoe lying on top of the box and, on an impulse, he picked it up and brought it with him as he went towards the stairs.

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

…

**Author's notes:**

It so nice to be able to update again! I wasn't been able to use the computer for two days because of my older brother. Oh well, at least I can use it now although it's only for a few hours. I was supposed to update five hours ago, unfortunately I had to leave the house and I hadn't even been able to type this chapter yet. Anyway, please tell me your opinions about this chapter and **please** leave a **review! **I do hope you don't hate this chapter…much…I don't mind if you don't like it…as long as you don't hate it…it is _still_ short…sorry about that… Anyway I still haven't described Yukiko's uniform yet…maybe on the next chapters? So…well…ano…**would you please leave a review?** **Please? **I would really,_ really_ appreciate it. - Who would you like to appear next? I'm not so sure but at least Rimu-chan is now in the story! I had half my mind made up on letting Urumiya appear first. Unfortunately I couldn't think of a suitable reason for him being there on the mountains. Alone. So I just used my second choice. Oh by the way, I have to tell all of you that I'm not really good at writing action scenes, fighting scenes, etc. Okay, dash that, I don't even know _how_ to write such scenes. I can only read them _not_ write them. Sorry.

I'd like to thank **BoNkaKi** for reviewing **Chapter 2: Destiny Unfolds**. I'm glad that you were inspired to draw a character your style because of my story. Congratulations! - I dedicate this chapter to you and I'll dedicate the next chapter for you too. You're so nice for reviewing my story. Thanks again!


	5. Strange Boy

**Disclaimer**: I **don't** own Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden. It belongs to its creator, Yuu Watase and to those people who bought the rights for it. I am merely borrowing its characters, places and such for this fic. But I do own Yukiko Minamoto and Tatsuya Minamoto.

…

**Summary**: Yukiko Minamoto gets sucked inside the Book of the Four Gods and becomes the unwilling new Priestess of Genbu. Will she be able to find the seven stars of Genbu and summon the god? She had once fallen in love but that had ended in tragedy and so she chose to close her heart. Will her heart of snow be finally melted?

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

…

_**Ice Priestess**_

_…_

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

…

_**Chapter 4: Strange Boy**_

_**…**_

_**Last time…**_

"_The new priestess of __Genbu__, after loosing too much blood from her wound, suddenly fainted. The girl who had saved her earlier went towards her and placed a hand on her forehead. She found, to her dismay, that the unconscious girl had a high fever. Having no other choice, she picked up the priestess and a sudden gust of wind enveloped them. __When the wind dispersed, so too had they disappeared from sight.__ And this was the beginning of the legend." Tatsuya read and his expression turned to one filled with worry and anxiety. _

"_Oh__ Yukiko…I have to help her. I have to get her out of this book!" He said as a determined expression crossed his face._

_He stood up from the couch with the book still in his hands. He glanced at the shoe lying on top of the box and, on an __impulse__ he picked it up and brought it with him as he went towards the stairs._

…

_**Now…**_

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

…

Tatsuya entered his room, closing the door out of habit. He placed the book and shoe beside his computer. He flicked the computer on and impatiently waited for it to finish loading.

He ran a hand through his hair and groaned in frustration when he couldn't bear waiting any longer. He picked up the book and flipped it open.

"The strange girl who had rescued the new priestess from the monster materialized on a secluded spot on a street in a nearby village not far from the mountain," He began to read.

"With the priestess still unconscious in her arms, she stepped out of the secluded spot and began to walk towards a nearby inn located on the right side of the street where they had appeared…"

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

…

The girl entered the inn and was instantly greeted by the middle-aged proprietress of the inn. "Welcome! Oh my! That girl is bleeding!"

"I want a room and some bandages please," The girl said, ignoring the curious stares that she was receiving from those people around her.

"Oh, of course! There's an unoccupied room upstairs, located on the last one to your right," The innkeeper replied. She went inside a room by the counter and came out shortly carrying a basin of warm, clean water and a few cloths for bandages.

"I'll show you the way." The innkeeper walked ahead with the girl following closely behind her.

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

**---Second Floor---**

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

…

"What happened to your friend? Do you need a doctor?" The innkeeper inquired curiously.

"We were attacked by monsters on our way here. And no, I'll tend to her wounds myself," The girl replied curtly.

"If you say so…anyway, this is the room." The innkeeper opened the door and placed the basin as well as the bandages on a table near the bed.

"If you need anything else, I'll be downstairs," She said as she left the room.

The girl gently laid Yukiko on the bed before walking towards the door and locking it. She turned back and stared at the unconscious girl on the bed and sighed wearily.

"This is just perfect," she muttered sarcastically. "I can't stay in this village for long…someone might recognize me."

She crossed the room and took off her cloak, placing it on top of a chair on her way. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and examined the girl from head to toe.

The girl's hair was a strange hue. Not common in Hokkan, that was for sure. It could be that she came from Sairou…or Konan or even Kutou.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Kutou. That blasted country is up with its old tricks again.

'_Do they really thirst for power that much? They don't even care if they hurt others or if it means that war and more killing will be born from their selfishness. Innocent lives will be lost yet again.' _She thought, disgusted.

She controlled the growing rage inside of her and began to scrutinize the strange girl again.

The unconscious girl was also wearing such strange clothes…a black long-sleeved coat with a white long-sleeved shirt and blue necktie inside, a blue and white checkered knee length skirt, long, black socks and one brown shoe.

She noticed that the girl's face was getting paler and paler by the minute and that her breathing was becoming more and more labored.

Reaching out, she lightly touched the girl's forehead. As she did so, her eyes widened in alarm and she swore under her breath.

'_Her fever is back up again. With this rate…she will most likely…'_

Letting out an irritated sigh, she fumbled with the black coat and started to take Yukiko's clothes off.

"Tat..su…ya…" Yukiko moaned softly.

Ignoring Yukiko's pained moans, started to clean her wound. Carefully and efficiently, she cleansed and bandaged Yukiko's wound. She watched Yukiko's facial expressions turn from pained to distressed then back to being in pain again.

"Tat…su…ya…where…are…you…?" Yukiko mumbled.

The other girl was watching her intently, one of her eyes twitching in amusement. She continued on watching the other girl as she began to strip her own clothes off.

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

_…_

_A young girl with beige-colored hair that reached a little past her chin was sitting on a swing in the park. There were no other occupants within the vicinity. The sky was slightly filled with dark clouds, warning those outside that it might rain any minute._

_She pushed back and forth in the swing, with her feet that were firmly planted on the ground supporting her. _

_Her head was bent low, her thoughts distracted as if thinking deeply about something._

_She heaved a sigh, her inner turmoil still intact. She began to argue with herself on whether or not she had made the wise decision in being there now—what was she was doing there now anyway? It might rain any minute, she wasn't even sure if that person would show up. Plus, even if that person __**did **__show up, there was no guarantee that __**she**__ could even __**do**__ it. After all, the possibility that she __**might**__ chicken out on the last minute was __**still **__possible._

_She was brought back to reality by the sound of footsteps walking towards her. Her heart pounded and she began to panic. It was too late though, she had chosen to go there and now it was time to face the consequences of her stubbornness._

_The footsteps died, indicating that whoever was walking towards her had stopped. Slowly, anxiously, she raised her head and looked up at the person standing a few feet away from her._

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

…

Yukiko's eyes shot open as she quickly sat up. Her breathing was rather ragged and she had a hard time in trying not to recall what she had just dreamt about.

'_That again!__ The same one as before…when will that memory stop haunting me…?'_

Slight movements in the bed made her realize a few things:

**One:** She was in a bed.

**Two:** She was half naked.

**Three:** Oh, good, her uniform, as well as her bra, were lying on the floor on her left.

**Four: **She noticed that a bandage was wrapped around her shoulder, effectively stopping her wound from bleeding again.

**Five:** She could feel something warm beside her.

Slowly, she turned her head to her right and then her body stiffened.

Her eyes grew wide with horror at what she saw.

_**Six: **_A young man with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck with blue eyes laughing at _**her**_—was sprawled beside her. Staring at her. Naked.

Silence.

Then…

She screamed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She pulled the blanket around her and jumped up, sprinting away from the bed. Backing up against the wall, she averted her head, her face flushing in embarrassment.

'_He could at least __**try **__to__ cover __himself,__' _She thought bitterly.

A low chuckle made her head snap back to glare at him. He didn't seem to be fazed by the deadly glare that she was sending him. In fact—as if to add to the insult—he seemed to be more amused by it!

'_This guy is one cocky jerk. I __**really **__want to rip those darned eyes of his from their sockets! Or I could just beat the crap out of him. But…' _

She glanced sideways to her clothes lying on the floor before sighing in frustration.

'_My clothes…they're too far away!'_

Instinctively, she wrapped the blanket around her body more tightly as she let her gaze survey the room she was currently in.

'_Simple and plain.__ Where the heck am I anyway? This place seems so…__uhm__…rural…? I have never seen a room like this before….'_

Her gaze fell back on the boy still sprawled lazily on the bed. She felt a little faint and a throbbing headache started to begin inside of her head.

Her hand lightly grazed the bandage wrapped around her shoulder.

'_Could it be that this boy…?'_

"Did you tend to my wounds…?" She asked softly.

He stared at her for a moment before nodding his head once.

"Oh…" She said, flushing in embarrassment. "Uhm…t-thank you…"

He smirked.

Okay. Now as much as she was thankful to him for treating her wound, that arrogant smirk was totally insulting.

'_Hold on…' _She thought as realization of what had happened before she lost consciousness dawned to her. _'I could've sworn I was with a __**girl**__…a __**girl **__had __**saved**__ me back in the mountain…__**not**__ a boy…'_

Glancing at him uneasily, she asked, "Excuse me…I believe I was with a girl back in the mountain…how did I get here? And where is that girl who had saved me?"

He shrugged nonchalantly before grinning at her and tapping the space in the bed beside him. "Come here."

Her eyebrow twitched. So much for thinking that he was a nice boy.

She eyed the bed then her gaze slid to her clothes on the floor. '_Wait a minute…'_

Her eyes widened as her thought landed on a speculation which she wished with all her heart was not true. Forcing herself to appear calm, she asked him quietly, "Did…did something happen between us?"

He studied her expression thoughtfully before nodding his head.

Her jaw dropped as she stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief.

He stared at her blankly before throwing his head back and laughing out loud.

'_What the heck…__'_

"What the heck are you laughing about you obnoxious jerk!?" She demanded angrily.

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

**…**

**Author's Notes:**

Hey people! I _**finally**_ updated! I'm sorry about the long wait. And I'm also sorry for ending this here. Cliffie ain't it? I had to end it here. The chapter is somewhat long, as an apology for updating late. I'll update again as soon as I finish typing the next chapter. Anyway please tell me if you hate the story. I don't mind if you criticize me. Just please tell me your honest opinion about it. If you're confused about anything, please feel free to PM me so that I could clear it out for you. I'd be happy to explain it as long as you don't ask me in an obnoxiously rude way. Oh and please tell me if it's lame or something. Anyway, **please** leave a **review**! Comments, suggestions, criticisms, etc, are also welcomed. Thanks in advance!!!

**Just please leave a REVIEW!**

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**ONEGAI MINNA-SAN!!!!!!!!!**

**Thank you for the following who had reviewed the last chapter:**

**Fiction101**

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**BlackRainWillFall**


	6. The new Genbu no miko

**Disclaimer**: I **don't** own Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden. It belongs to its creator, Yuu Watase and to those people who bought the rights for it. I am merely borrowing its characters, places and such for this fic. But I do own Yukiko Minamoto and Tatsuya Minamoto.

…

**Summary**: Yukiko Minamoto gets sucked inside the Book of the Four Gods and becomes the unwilling new Priestess of Genbu. Will she be able to find the seven stars of Genbu and summon the god? She had once fallen in love but that had ended in tragedy and so she chose to close her heart. Will her heart of snow be finally melted?

…

* * *

_****_

...

**__**

**__**

_**Ice Priestess**_

**__**

...

**__**

**__**

* * *

…

_**Chapter 5: The New **__**Genbu**__** no **__**Miko**_

…

* * *

_**Last time…**__****_

_**…**_

_Her eyes widened as her thought landed on a speculation which she wished with all her heart was not true. Forcing herself to appear calm, she asked him quietly, "Did…__did__ something happen between us?"_

_He studied her expression thoughtfully before nodding his head._

_Her jaw dropped as she stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief._

_He stared at her blankly before throwing his head back and laughing out loud._

'_What the heck…__'_

"_What the heck are you laughing about you obnoxious jerk!?" She demanded angrily._

…

_**Now…**_

…

…

He smirked. He actually _smirked_. The weird boy actually **smirked **at _**her**_. A mocking smirk at that. She scowled.

"Well?" She demanded.

"I was just joking you know. Nothing happened between us."

She eyed him dubiously. Was he telling the truth? She couldn't tell—what with that stupid, mocking smirk on his face, how was she supposed to know if he was even serious!?

"Now, just come here already," He persuaded again, a charming smile replaced the mocking smirk.

"Why should I!?" She spat viciously.

Her head was beginning to throb again…if only it would stop then maybe she would be able to think clearly and analyze the situation better.

"Because you have a fever," He answered simply. "Now stop being stubborn and just come here and let me help you lower that fever of yours."

She didn't doubt him there, raising a hand to feel her forehead, she found, to her dismay, that she **did** indeed have a fever. It was cold too, she realized, as her body shivered in response to the temperature around them.

But still…she would rather die than go **anywhere** near a man in bed **especially **when they were both naked!

As if reading her thoughts, he sighed exasperatedly and raised his arms—a warm gust of wind came out of nowhere and lifted her off the floor and towards the bed.

"What the—!?"

She shut her eyes in fear as their body came in contact but they quickly shot open again when she felt slender arms wrap themselves around her body—trapping her arms to her sides and a pair of soft breast brush against her own.

Wait just a second…

Breasts…?

_**Breast!?**_

What the hell!?

She stared at the smirking face of a young woman around her age. Her eyes widened when she realized that **this** was the girl who had saved her from the monster on the mountain.

She narrowed her eyes at the girl's face. She had the same long brown hair and blue eyes like that boy…wait! Her head looked around them. The boy was gone! But…he couldn't have left…right? And…how did this girl get here…? And that wind…

Only one conclusion entered her mind and she refused to acknowledge it. No way. There was no way that could happen.

A character on the girl's breast shone brightly, catching Yukiko's eyes.

'Woman…?'

"Who are you? Where did that boy go to? Don't tell me…"

"What? You want to be in bed with a boy instead?" She taunted.

A vein popped up in Yukiko's head but she ignored her rising anger, instead stating her suspicions, "You and that boy…are one and the same!?"

"Heh. Finally realized that, huh?" The other girl snorted.

She whacked her head.

"What the hell was that for!?" The girl yelled.

"Why are you being so rude to me, huh!?" Yukiko shouted, unfazed.

"Tch," The girl looked away. "Geez, I knew I shouldn't have helped you!"

That shut Yukiko up. Of course…this…girl/boy helped her…**she **was the one being rude…

"I'm sorry…" Yukiko whispered softly, her hand unconsciously moving to stroke the bracelet on her wrist.

The other girl blinked. Did she just _apologize_?

"Tsk, its fine," She grunted in response. "I didn't rape you or anything you know…"

Yukiko looked up but the other girl refused to meet her gaze.

"Ohh…umm…may," Yukiko started, trying to push away from the girl. "May I know what your name is…?"

The other girl didn't seem to notice her struggles. "…you…what is your name…?"

"Hey! I just asked you that question!"

"Answer me."

"Y-yukiko…Yukiko Minamoto…" Yukiko answered meekly.

"Strange…your name sounds strange…you also have such a strange shade of hair…even your eyes…they're lighter than normal…and your clothes…where did you come from…?" The other girl asked.

"T-tokyo…I live in Tokyo…"

"Tokyo? Where is that? I've never heard of it before…is it in Sairou? Or perhaps Konan?" The other girl asked, puzzled.

"Ehh?" Was all Yukiko could say. What was Sairou? And Konan?

The other girl eyed her skeptically before her eyes darkened a little bit. "Or…maybe you're from Kutou?"

"What are you talking about? What's Sairou? Konan? And Kutou? I don't understand what you are talking about!"

"Hmm…maybe you're not from Kutou then?"

"I just asked you what that is!"

"No matter." She released Yukiko and touched her forehead.

"Seems to me your fever has gone down." She stated matter-of-factly as she got off the bed—the symbol disappeared, turning her back into a boy—and began to get dress, his back turned to Yukiko.

Yukiko blushed profusely as she grabbed her clothes on the floor and began to get dressed from under the blanket. The boy finished first and turned to look at her.

"What the heck are you doing?" He asked—amusement evident in his voice.

"What do you think? Isn't it obvious?! I'm getting dressed!" Yukiko answered from under the blankets, her voice a little muffled by it.

The boy threw his head back and laughed. Yukiko emerged from under the blanket—fully clothed. She glared at him as she brought out a ribbon and tied her hair back into a loose braid.

"You could pass as a hyena you know," She muttered darkly under her breath.

"What?" He asked as his laughter died down into an occasional snort.

"Nothing. Where are we anyway?" She dismissed coldly.

"Oh…we're in the northern country, Hokkan."

"Hokkan?" She echoed as she racked her brain for any information regarding that particular country. No way! There was no such country in any of the maps on earth! She couldn't have missed it since she had studied and memorized the world map for her History subject back at school. So that means…

'Ugh! Where the heck am I!?' She thought to herself in frustration.

"So…umm….how do I get out this…uhh…_country_?" She asked a she forced herself to be calm.

'Tatsuya…I bet he's worried sick about me right now…' She thought grimly.

"Ehh? Where do you want to go? There's a route through the desert if you want to get to Sairou…or you can take a ship if you want to go to Konan…" The boy answered.

Great. Just great. Where was she supposed to go? Walk through the desert or ride a ship? Choices…choices…

A weary sigh escaped her lips. 'Oh god, do you hate me **that **much?!'

The boy watched her from the corner of his eye. 'This girl is strange.' He thought to himself. 'Definitely strange.'

"Hey."

She was too deep in thought to hear him. A vein popped up in his head.

"Hey!" He tried again.

Nope, still too deep in thought.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" He yelled at her ear.

"Kya—! What the heck! What's your problem!? Why did you yell at my ear!?" She screeched as she whacked him upside the head.

"Oww…" He glared at her as he rubbed the throbbing bump on his head. "I was talking to you and you weren't listening!"

"Well you didn't have to scream like a banshee on my ear! What, did you want to break my eardrums **that** much!?" She yelled.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

She raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. What? He doesn't know those things? Heck, even a little kid knew what eardrums and banshees were! Okay, maybe only the eardrums part. But still!

"You…don't know what an eardrum…is?" She asked slowly.

He shook his head.

Oooookay. Weird. Maybe she was only dreaming all of this? But…you don't feel any pain in a dream, right? And the wound on her shoulder definitely told her that she was NOT dreaming.

He waited for her to explain what she had been talking about. When she didn't, he sighed in frustration and strode towards the door.

She snapped out of her thoughts then.

"Hey, where are you going?" She asked as she followed him towards the door.

"Food. I'm hungry," He answered as he opened the door and held it open, motioning for her to walk out of the room.

His actions surprised her but nevertheless, she walked out of the room and followed him as he walked towards the staircase.

…

…

…

…

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

…

**---Real World---**

…

**-****oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo-oOo****-**

…

…

Tatsuya looked up from the book and grinned to himself. Man, was Yukiko in a fix! Sure he's worried about her—but she, Ms. I-Hate-All-Male-Species-On-Earth-Period—is actually stuck with one!

It would be interesting to know what would happen next but right now, he was more worried about her safety than his own amusement.

He glanced at his computer and smiled in relief when he saw that it had finally finished loading. He placed the book down on the table and began to connect his computer in the internet.

"Thank god for DSL!" He mumbled to himself as he began to open the webpage of google.

"Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho," He said aloud as he typed it on the search engine and pressed the ENTER key.

He tapped his index finger on the table as he waited for the results.

"There!" He exclaimed as he leaned closer and clicked the first site. It was a site—almost like a library—regarding old books.

"Let's see…S…sh…shi…here! Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho also known as Universe of the Four Gods! Hmm…" He clicked it and waited for a few seconds before the information regarding the book came out.

"The book Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho a.k.a. Universe of the Four Gods is an old Chinese book that originally came from China. It was brought to Japan by a famous writer/translator of ancient manuscripts named Einosuke Okuda on the year 1923. It is a book about the four guardian deities named: Genbu of the North, Byakko of the West, Seiryuu of the East and Suzaku of the South. Each god was worshipped accordingly by the inhabitants of their given direction a long time ago."

Tatsuya raised a skeptical eyebrow as he searched for any information regarding Einosuke Okuda. "Einosuke Okuda, a famous writer/translator during his time on the year 1923. He committed suicide after killing his only daughter, Takiko Okuda, on their house in Morioka. His last book, The Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho otherwise known as The Universe of the Four Gods, was given to his close friend Takao Oosugi for safekeeping. After Takao Oosugi's death, the book was donated to the National Library where it was kept on the important documents section for a few decades before promptly disappearing."

"It…disappeared?" Tatsuya asked himself in disbelief. "How could that have happen? And if it _did_ disappear, how did it end up here?"

"Hmm…maybe…maybe somebody else has some kind of information about this?"

He continued to search for other sites about the book for over an hour to no avail. He was about to give up when a site caught his attention.

'Oh well, it's worth a shot, right? It's not like I'm going to lose anything…'

With those thought inside his head, he entered the site.

…

…

…

…

'_Hmm…this…boy…he's…__**weird**__…' _Yukiko thought to herself as she glanced at her companion.

"Ano…" She started awkwardly, poking her food.

The boy looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Umm…I guess I haven't properly thanked you for saving me…arigato gozaimasu!" She bowed her head.

"Tch. Whatever." He continued to eat his meal.

"Hmph!" She puffed her cheeks in irritation.

Then a thought occurred to her. _'I forgot…he's a boy…'_

She glanced at him again, her eyes weary. _'I better finish my meal now…then I'll leave and decide what to do…'_

She hastily finished her meal and stood up.

"Thank you for everything," She said over her shoulder as she began to walk out of the inn.

A hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back as she was about to step out of the inn. Her head snapped back to glare at whoever had stopped her. It was the same boy who had helped her.

"What is it?" She asked, irritated at being stopped. She pulled away from him, letting his hand fall from her shoulder in the process.

He pointed downwards. She looked down and gasped. One of her shoes was missing! She hadn't noticed that earlier! Why didn't she notice it? Oh…of course…she was too lost in her thoughts to notice.

"Oh…t-thank you…" She bushed in embarrassment.

He smirked and took off his cloak, handing it to her.

"I'll buy you a new pair, as well as a coat. Come on."

When she had finished tying the cloak around her shoulders, he bent down a little and motioned for her to climb.

She stared at him blankly. He rolled his eyes and again, gestured for her to climb his back. Her eye twitched when she realized that he wanted to give her a piggyback ride.

"No way."

He glared at her.

"Nuh-uh." She shook her head stubbornly, folding her arms.

"Do you want to freeze to death?"

She glared at him for a minute. "Fine."

She climbed behind him and, together, they left the inn. He walked across the inn towards some nearby shops. He entered one that was selling footwear.

"Welcome! What can I get for you?" The owner greeted.

"A pair of shoes for her." The boy gestured at Yukiko.

"We have just the pair that you need, Miss! Please follow me."

The owner went towards a rack full of footwear. "Please choose what you like."

Yukiko stepped closer to the rack, carefully examining each of the footwear available. Her gaze fell on a pair of black leather boots.

"This one." She picked up the pair and turned towards them. "I want this one."

"Good choice, Ma'am! Try it on," The owner urged, gesturing towards a wooden bench on one side of the store.

Yukiko nodded her head and went towards it. She sat on the bench and took off the single shoe that she was wearing. Her toes could feel the chill outside despite the fire burning on the stone fireplace inside of the store. She quickly slipped on the boots.

'_Perfect fit!'_She thought, smiling a little.

She looked up at the two males watching her expectantly. "It's a perfect fit." She stated nonchalantly.

The owner smiled and the boy nodded his head, handing a few silver coins to the shop owner before gesturing to Yukiko that they were leaving.

Yukiko nodded and grabbed her single school shoe. For some odd reason, she didn't want to leave her shoe behind. She followed the boy out of the shop.

"Ne, arigato for the…boots…" She said quietly.

"It's fine."

They entered another shop, this time it was a shop that was selling different kinds of cloaks. Like the first shop, the owner greeted them.

"Welcome! What can I do for you?"

"We're here to buy a cloak for her." He pointed at Yukiko.

"Oh yes, of course! Come this way, Madam."

Yukiko's eyebrow arched. "Madam…? But we're not…"

The woman didn't seem to hear her. "What about this one, madam? You should take that cloak off to see if this one fits you."

Yukiko reluctantly took off the cloak that she was wearing. Her beige hair flowed down her back when she took it off.

The woman gasped. "You have…such an odd color of hair…you must be…a foreigner?"

Yukiko sighed exasperatedly. "So I've been told. Yes, I'm…a foreigner…"

She took the cloak that the woman was holding and slipped it on before the woman could inspect her 'unusual' clothes. The dark blue cloak had white fur trims on its sides and it looked good on her. She returned the green cloak to the boy which he quickly wore.

"This one is…nice…"

"We'll take it then. Here." The boy paid the seamstress before ushering Yukiko out of the store.

"Ano…thanks again…umm…I was wondering…can you at least tell me your name?"

He stared at her blankly for a minute before handing her the bag of money that he was carrying. "…Rimudo…"

"Rimudo…that's a nice name. It was a pleasure meeting you, Rimudo, and thank you for all that you have done for me." She gave him a small smile before turning her head to look around their surroundings.

"I guess I better find a way home then…" She murmured more to herself than him.

"Where _is_ your home?"

"Huh? I told you, I live in Tokyo. Now all I have to do is find a way back there."

"But there is no 'Tokyo' here."

"That's not possible! But…I was at home when that…green light…" Her eyes widened when she remembered the light that had engulfed her.

"Hmm…come to think of it…I saw…a green light on the spot where I found you…that green light…could it be…?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Do you know anything about that green light? Maybe if I find it…I would be able to go back…"

He eyed her skeptically. "Green light…ominous clothes…even the hair…could it be?" He shook his head. "No, that was just a legend…it's not possible…"

"What's not possible?" She asked curiously.

"Remember the carvings on the stone pillars on top of the mountains? That was Genbu. He is one of the four gods together with Seiryuu, Byakko and Suzaku…he is the protecting deity of this country," He explained.

_'Four gods…that's __the…title of that…book…' _Yukiko thought to herself.

"Each god has their own priestess who represents them. They are the maidens who are assigned to summon their respective god," He began to explain further when she did not interrupt him.

"The Priestess of Genbu was…a legendary girl who appeared from another world when this land was in trouble. That girl carried the responsibility to call the seven Seishi and bring those seven people together to summon Genbu. And she gained the power to fulfill her wishes…and thus saved our country…but the previous priestess did not return here after her second wish was granted…some said that she chose to stay on her own world…while others believed that she had died…"

'_From another world…well…this certainly is not __**my**__ world. __But…a priestess to save a country…?__ Could that be me? No way…' _She mentally shook her head vehemently.

"It's an old legend. Some still believe it, while others no longer do. The priestess of Genbu appeared on this country five hundred years ago and so, the land of Hokkan is perfectly safe thanks to her first wish," He finished.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Huh? Y-yeah…I'm…fine…just…fine…" She mumbled.

"I…I think I'm going to…leave now…"

_**Genbu**__**…**_

_**Priestess of **__**Genbu**__**…**_

_**You are…the new priestess of **__**Genbu**__**…**_

_**Accept your fate…Yukiko **__**Minamoto**__**…as the new **__**Genbu**__** no **__**miko**__**…**_

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO BECOME THE PRIESTESS OF GENBU! LEAVE ME ALONE! I JUST WANT TO GO BACK HOME!" She screamed.

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**Author's Notes: **

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Hello everyone! I am terribly sorry for the extremely long wait! My stupid computer broke down the day I was going to upload! Can you believe that!? Today, it's finally fixed! After more than a month of waiting, I am finally able to type again! Hurray! Anyway, I think I _might_ be able to update again by next week. I hope. I'm going to attend a wedding next week as a bridesmaid so I'll be pretty busy. T-T This chapter was supposed to be longer but I changed my mind on the last minute and after editing it for more than three times, I was finally able to come up with a decent piece. I'll begin the next chapter now.

Oh yeah, comments, suggestions, criticisms, etc, are also welcomed. And thanks to those who reviewed last time! Special thanks to **Fiction101 **for believing in me and reviewing!

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